Quality and Outcomes Reports - Ear, Nose and Throat

Time to Next Appointment

Why we measure it - The time to next appointment actually is the time to the third next available appointment for new patients, which is a more accurate measure of how long a patient needs to wait before seeing a specialist of his or her choice for the first time. 

One of our service standards is the ability to make appointments within a reasonable length of time. Urgent and emergency patients are seen immediately.

What this means - Typically our TTNA stays within the target range of 15 days, however due to a change in personnel, our TTNA has increased. We are actively working on this and constantly strive to minimize the wait time between appointments.

About the data - These data reflect a measure that is an industry standard. These data show the number of days to schedule a new, non-urgent appointment.

Related dimensions of care:

What we're doing to provide the best care:

  • All of our pediatric otolaryngologists are fellowship-trained.
  • We expanded our hours and now offer appointments in the evening.
  • Under the direction of our pediatric ENT specialists, our nurse practitioners assist in seeing patients as quickly as possible.
  • Our specialists see patients at two other locations in Milwaukee (Greenfield Specialty Clinic and New Berlin Clinic) to reduce the number of trips many families need to make to our hospital location.
  • We perform many outpatient procedures at our Surgicenter location near the Milwaukee hospital, approximately 10 minutes from Children's Hospital. Here, patients may be scheduled sooner and enjoy the convenience of a smaller facility, while being cared for by the same pediatric ENT surgeons and pediatric anesthesiologists they would see at the hospital.
  • To improve our clinic flow and patients' experience, we had parent focus groups help redesign our waiting room and teaching room in the ENT Clinic. We also are improving our teaching materials and working to reduce wait times and improve our patient satisfaction scores.
  • We are using a process improvement initiative in the surgery area to enhance efficiencies and allow health care providers to focus on quality interactions with their patients.
  • To improve patient flow and case management in the ENT Clinic, we are a part of many specialty clinics including: Aerodigestive Clinic, Audiology, Audiology Processing Disorders, Cochlear Implant Clinic; Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic; Saliva Control, Speech, Tracheostomy/Ventilator Clinic, Vascular Malformations Clinic, FEEST Clinic, and Voice Clinic.

Patients and families:  

  • If you cannot keep a scheduled appointment, please call Central Scheduling, at (877) 607-5280 or (414) 607-5280 as soon as possible to reschedule so another child can be seen.
  • Arrive 15 minutes before your scheduled appointment so we can gather needed information from you before you see the doctor.
  • Check with your insurance provider before your visit to see if a referral is needed to see a specialist at Children's Hospital.

Referring physicians:

  • Referring physicians can access our specialists for consultation or transport 24 hours a day. Call our physician referral line at (800) 266-0366.  
  • Health care providers from outside of our southeastern Wisconsin service area are encouraged to use our web-based 
    e-Consult service. This service is available for non-urgent patient cases only and gives providers access to our specialists to review patient cases, obtain medical advice or second opinions, and receive care recommendations for rare symptoms and illnesses.
    e-Consult is not to be used by the general public, parents/guardians or families.
  • Care guidelines for medical professionals
  • Educational materials
  • Pocket Directory

If you have questions about this information, email us or call (414) 266-6556.